Solar Technology Can Now Power Your Roads — And Your Clothes!

A vehicle drives on the transparent, weight-bearing solar panels of the world's first photovoltaic expressway in Jinan, Shandong province’s capital city. Photo by Luo bo/AP.

Our world is currently powered by human-generated electricity.

And while it doesn’t seem like we’re going to run out of electricity any time soon, that doesn’t mean it’s a sustainable resource. Power plants emit pollution into the air on a daily basis, meaning that generating electricity is one of the leading causes of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.

Solar energy is working to combat that. The idea is simple: Use a natural resource — the sun — for electricity instead of nonrenewable resources.

Other than pointing out the occasional set of solar panels on the roof of a mansion, a lot of us are pretty unaware of the advancements solar energy has made in the last few years.

Solar-powered roads

TOKYO HAS RECENTLY ANNOUNCED PLANS to build solar roads to help make their 2020 Olympics into an eco-friendly event. These experimental roadways are made with load-bearing solar panels that are covered in a special resin, according to the Independent. Cars can drive on these durable roads while the panels generate electricity for adjacent communities.

Japan’s solar road was installed in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven convenience store in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, in May 2018. The shop’s manager has high hopes for the development: “The solar road system can generate 16,145 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, covering about 9% of the entire electricity that the store consumes.”